BRIEF—Tokyo District Court rules on Rituxan biosimilar

Japanese drug major Chugai Pharmaceutical says that the Tokyo District Court has rendered judgment dismissing the plaintiff’s claim in the lawsuit filed by Roche subsidiary Genentech wherein the plaintiff demands prohibition against sales, etc, of the biosimilar product of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody Rituxan(rituximab) Injection 10mg/mL by Novartis subsidiary Sandoz KK and Kyowa Hakko Kirin, citing such parties' infringement of three use patents owned by Biogen as the ground.

Chugai, which is majority owned by Roche, and Zenyaku Kogyo have been assisting intervention in the lawsuit.

Biogen is a holder of those patents and Genentech is the exclusive licensee. Zenyaku Kogyo is the exclusive distribution rights' holder in Japan of Rituxan Injection, and Chugai is the joint distributor of Rituxan Injection with Zenyaku Kogyo.

There is no impact expected on Chugai’s financial prospects for this matter at this stage.